Bodice garment



March 31, 1959 E. M. FRANKLIN BODICE GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1956 FIG. 2'

#Wt/fl INVENTOR.

March 31, 1959 'Filed Jan. 31, 1956 E- M. FRANKLIN BODICE GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent BODICE GARMENT Edna M. Franklin, Oklahoma City, Okla. Application January lal, 1956, Serial No. 562,484 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-110) The present invention relates to ladies garments and more particularly to an under bodice garment intended to be used by an individual woman wearing a suit in protecting the body from fabric allergy and preventing body perspiration from collecting on the suit or garment being worn.

None of the under bodice garments as shown in the prior art nor all of them combined, with which I am familiar, which are intended for use in helping to protect the body from fabric allergy or against body perspiration from collecting on the suit or outer garment being worn, make any provision nor mention of protection of the skin of the wearer from fabric allergy, or perspiration protection for the garment being worn and none suggest the possibility of it being so done. Most of the under garments, as shown by the prior art, are known as slips, camisoles and brassieres or the like.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide an under bodice garment to protect the body from fabric allergy and also simultaneously protect the top garment from perspiration.

Another important object is to provide a simple under bodice garment of this class which is easy to put on and is comfortable to the wearer and which will extend the period of freshness of appearance of the top garment a considerable length of time.

Another object is to provide a garment of this class which may be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

Further objects are to provide a garment which is simple and easy to adjust to various sizes.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing two separate body encompassing members, each of which may be worn separately or as a combination garment.

The two interengaging back and front bodice section members are used to protect the top or outer garment being worn from body perspiration and in like manner protects the skin of an individual wearer from contact with the fabric of the outer garment. The back member pertains principally to a bodice back portion for covering the back of a wearer from the normal waistline to the base of the neckline and includes two pairs of integral extensions or fastening means. One of these pairs extends upwardly and forwardly over the right and left shoulder, respectively, and are fastened adjacent their free ends to the top of the brassiere. The other or second pair of fastening means is extended forwardly around the body of the wearer and has the respective ends thereof fastened together incooperative overlapping relation. The front member pertains principally to a bodice front portion for covering the front of the wearer from the normal waistline up to and over the upwardly disposed edge ofthe wearers brassiere'and includes a pair of intgeral laterally extending projections or fastening means which cooperatively envelop the body of the wearer and are fastened together in end overlapping relation.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying two sheets of drawings wherein Figure. 1 is an insidesurface plan view of the back bodice member;

Figure 2 is a front plan view of the front bodice member Figure 3 is a front perspective view of an outlined figure illustrating the back bodice member in wearing position;

Figure 4 is a back view of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a back view illustrating a modification of the back bodice member;

Figure 6 is a front view illustrating the use of the front bodice member only;

Figure 7 is a back view of Figure 6;v

Figure 8 is a back view similar to Fig. 5, illustrating another embodiment of the back bodice member;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of one of the fastening means of the back bodice member; and,

Figure 10 is a front perspective view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating both bodice members in wearing position.

Like characters of references designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

Referring to Fig. 1 the reference character A indicates, as a whole, the inside surface of a back bodice garment adapted to substantially cover the entire back bodice portion of a wearer extending from the back neck line position, as 'defined by the upper edge of the garment and indicated by the numeral 34, to the normal waistline position defined by the garments lower edge 10. As viewed in Fig. 1 that portion of the garment A lying to the right of the center back line 2 is the left side of the garment and conversely that portion of the garment lying to the left of the line 2 is the right side of the garment. The upper end portion of the garment A has substantially parallel right and left outer side edges disposed respectively to the tight and left sides of the center back or reference line 2, and which terminates upwardly in substantially a U-shaped end. The bight of the U-shape is defined by the neck line edge 34 and the legs of the U-shape, extending upwardly as seen in Fig. 1, above the lines 4 and 6, respectively, are tapered toward their free ends and form respective right and left shoulder band fastening means for securing the garment on the body of a wearer. The garment A further includes an integral pair of band-like extensions F and G which project outwardly from the lines 8 and 7, respectively, in slightly downwardly diverging relation, as viewed in Fig. 1, and are terminated by the ends 9 and 18 substantially perpendicular to the respective upper edges 36 and 28 thereof.

,Transversely the width of the garment A is such that the central back portion lying between the points where the lines 7 and 8 across the lower edge 10 of the garment substantially spans the back portion of a wearer, as exemplified by Fig. 4, thus disposing the intermediate right and left side portions over the respective right and left sides of the body of a wearer for substantially covering the wearers skin from under the arm to the normal waistline. Similarly the extensions F and G are of such length that, when the garment is in wearing position, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4, the ends 9 and 18 are disposed in overlapping relation adjacent the center front of body of the wearer and thus comprises a means for fastening the garment on the wearer. Vertically the height of the band-like sections F and G is preferably such that they span the front section or area .of the body of the wearer extending between the normal waistline and the lower edge of :a conventional brassiere.

Similarly the width of the shoulder bands adjacent the, lines .4 and 6, respectively, is such that they substantially span the upper surface portion of the left and right shoulders, respectively, of a wearer and are preferably of such length that they may be extended forwardly and downwardly over the respective left and right front sections of the wearer for fastening by means of suitable fasteners '3 and 5, respectively, adjacent their respective ends, to the upper edge portion of a conven tional brassiere 70 (Fig. 3).

The garment A may be formed of any suitable material and is preferably made in at least three sizes, for example, small, medium and large. Adjacent their ends 9 and 18 the respective sections F and G are provided with a row of suitable cooperating fasteners 12 and 14, respectively, for holding the sections in overlapping engagement. To compensate for variations in the waist measurement of each individual size I have provided an elastic-like cord fastened by a tape 13.to the outer surface of the band-like section G and arranged to define loops 16 which are engageable with the fasteners 12 for providing resilient adjustment of the garment around a wearer (Fig. 9).

As an additional aid in maintaining the garment in snug fitting contact with the body of a wearer I have provided a loop 26 connected to the right side of the garment adjacent the juncture of the section F with the right side of the garment to which one end of a resilient or elastic cord 22 is connected. A hook-like fastener 24 is connected to the free end of the cord. The length of the cord 22 is such that it may be stretched slightly and span the front portion of the body of a wearer across the bustline and be connected by the hook fastener 24 to a loop 20 similar to the loop 24 and similarly connected to the left side of the garment.

The garment A may be made with various modifications for use with different types of dresses, for example, the bight of the U-shaped upper portion may be lowered in a manner defined by the dotted line 29 (Fig. 1), for use with a low backed dress. Similarly this portion may be lowered still further, as shown by the dotted line 30, for use with dresses having a still lower back line leaving relatively narrow tapering shoulder bands designated as D and E. Fig. illustrates these two modifications. Similarly the garment A may be formed with tapering waistband extensions, as by removing the end and upper edge portions of the extensions F and G along the dotted lines 32 and 33, respectively, for using the garment in combination with the garment illustrated in Fig. 2, as will be more fully explained hereinbelow. It seems obvious that the garment A may be formed without the upwardly extending U-shaped portion, as by defining the upper edge thereof along the dotted line position 31, for use of this garment with strapless or sleeveless evening gowns as exemplified by Fig. 8.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2, the reference character H designates, as a whole, a substantially triangular shaped member defined by the lines 46, 54 and 56. The opposing ends of the member H lying outwardly of the lines 58 and 59, respectively, are adapted to be extended around the body of a wearer at the normal waistline position in end overlapping relation and be adjustably fastened together as by suitable fastening means 48-49 and 50, 52 carried by the respective ends of the member H (Fig. 7). Two similar bust covering sections L and M are cooperatively sewed together along the center front line X-Y which extends upwardly from the apex of the triangular shaped member H. The lines 60, 64 and 62 define the respective arcuate outer and upper edges of the sections L and M. The respective lower edges of the sections L and M are sewed to the respective upper edges 54 and 56 of the member H with. the material of the sections gathered at suitable locations, as indicated at 66, for providing fullness of the garment.

This completes the front bodice member, as illustrated in Fig. 2 formed of any suitable material, and which is adapted, when in use, to cover the front bodice portion of the body of a wearer extending upwardly from the normal waistline, occupied by the lower edge 46 of the garment, up to and covering the bustline including a brassiere as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. The uppermost edge or tip portions of the sections L and M are provided with loop-like fasteners 40 and 38, respectively, for connection with the uppermost edge of the brassiere 70 and for other purposes which will presently be apparent.

The back and front bodice members as shown by Figs. 1 and 2 may be worn separately as shown by Figs. 3 and 6, respectively, or they may be worn as a combination as is shown by Fig. 10. When worn in combination the back bodice garment A is first positioned on the body of a wearer, as disclosed hereinabove, and the front bodice member is then positioned to overlie the band-like sections F and G and a portion of the underarm areas of the wearer. When worn as a combination garment the shoulder bands are connected by the fastenersv 3 and 5 to the fasteners 38 and 40. The elastic band 22'is removed and the loops 20 and 26 are connected with suitable fasteners 42 and 44 attached to the underarm side edges of the sections M and L respectively, thuseffecting a supporting connection for the side portions of both the back and front bodice members.

Thus it may be seen that I have provided a back and front bodice garment which will substantially envelop or cover the area of the body underlying various types of bodice outer garments and which will therefore serve as a perspiration absorbent and will further act as an aid in preventing contact of the skin of the wearer with fabrics to which the wearer may be allergic.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A'bodice garment, comprising: a bodice front garment and a bodice back garment, said back garment including a central section adapted to cover the back and underarm side bodice portions of a wearer and extend from the waistline to the back neck line and having a pair of shoulder bands each having side edges converging toward its free end and adapted to extend forwardly and downwardly over the shoulders of the wearer and terminating at a point substantially coincident at the armpits of the wearer when positioned thereon, said back garment having a pair of band-like extensions integrally joined with the lower back portion thereof and adapted to extend around the body of the wearer when positioned thereon in end overlapping relation below a line between the armpits and upwardly of the waistline; adjustable fastening means carried by said band-like extensions for connecting the same together, said front garment comprising a substantially triangular shaped section adapted to surround the wearer at the waistline with the apex of the triangular shape extending upward of the wearers waistline when positioned thereon and a pair of connected bust covering sections carried by the upper edges of said triangular shaped section and adapted to extend upwardly therefrom to a point substantially coincident at the armpits for covering the bust of the wearer when positioned thereon; and fasteners carried by the respective free ends of said shoulder bands and the uppermost edge of said front garment for connecting said shoulder bands to said front garment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,621 Donaldson Sept. 30, 1919 2,079,656 Mirsky May 11, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,954 France July 23, 1914 

